Circular independent latch needle knitting machine



y 8,1945; v H. H. HOLMES ET AL 2,375,475

CIRCULAR INDEPENDENT LATCH NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 7, 1943 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY! May 8 1945. HOLMES ET AL 2,375,475

CIRCULAR INDEPENDENT LATCH NEEDLE. KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 7, 1943Sheets-Sheet 2 A Tram/5% Patented May 8, 1945 omoULAn INDEPENDENT m'ronKNITTING MAomNE NEEDLE Henry Harold Holmes and, John Cyril Herbert Hnrd,Leicester, England, assignors to Wildt British company and- CompanyLimited Leicester, England, a

Application May 7, 1943, Serial No. 486,051 In Great Britain May 8,1-942 11 Claims. (Q1. 66--14) This invention relates to circularindependent latch needle knitting machines, and has reference to thoseof the double axially opposed needle cylinder type having latch needlesadapted to operate in each cylinder.

The invention is intended for application prin cipally to circularknitting machines of this type including two opposed, e. g.,superimposed, needle cylinders with double-ended needles operated bymeans of sliders, such needles being adapted to be transferred from oneneedle cylinder to the other as and for purposes well known by thoseskilled in the art.

The invention has for its aim the provision of improved means foropening the needle latches in machines of the type referred to, and isapplicable both to revolving needle cylinder machines and to stationarycylinder machines.

More particularly the invention has for its object to provideimprovements in latch opening means of a previously proposed formadapted to present or oppose a latch opening edge or edges to theneedles in one'cylinder, and a similar edge or edges to needles in theopposite cylinder, in the path of the' needle latches at a location orlocations where needles are advanced so that by reason of such advanceclosed or partly closed be regulated whereby the latch opening edgespresented thereby were in position to be engaged by closed or partlyclosed needle latches.

In practice, however, it was found that the cam had to be veryskillfully adjusted to regulate the sinkers or web holders to a nlcety,since otherwise troubles wer certain to arise. instance, if the sinkersor web holders were so regulated as to move in a little too far, then,in

passing by the lateral latch opening projections,

the appropriate needle hooks would have been broken, damaged or. atleast badly worn. In similar circumstances, damage to or wear of thesaid'projections was also likely to occur. It, with a view to obviatingthese dangers, the sinkers or web holders were regulated to leave asmall clearance between the projections and the needle hooks, there wasthe risk that the free ends of closed latches would miss the projectionsand consequently fail to be opened. And the only satisfactory way ofeliminating or minimising this risk would have been to providetheneedles latches were brought into engagement with the opposing edgeor edges and were opened.

In one embodiment of the previous proposal the latch opening edges wereconstituted by a circular series of lateral projections respectively onsinkers, web holding bits or sinker-like elements arranged alternatelywith the needles. Thus. in a knitting machine having inside or outsideholding down sinkers or web holders each of the latter was provided withone of such pro jections having chamfered or bevelled opposite I edgesso thata circular series of projections was formed which provided thincircumferentially extending latch opening edges for thep'lain needlesand the rib needles respectively. The said edges engaged between hooksand the free ends or spoons of the latches of needles with closedlatches.

For example, in a machine of the specific character aforesaid furnishedwith so-called inside sinkers or web holders, the latch opening edgeswere provided by lugs or like lateral projections on the heads orhook-like ends of these instrumentalities, and the cam whereby thelatter were moved inwards, e. g., at the or each location where needleswere advanced to clear, was adjustablyarranged so as to enable theinward movement of the sinkers or web holders to with suitably extendedlatches.

The improvements provided by the present invention have as their primaryaim to obviate the foregoing difllculties in latch opening arrangementssuch as those hereinbefore particularised. 1

According to this invention the latch opening edges are provided on acircular series of instrumentalities th appropriate portion or the wholeof each of which is enabled to yield or be displaced at the or eachlocation where latches are to be opened.

The idea is that whenever a needle is advanced, as for example forclearing after knitting, or for restoration to a normal position aftercasting off, or inreadiness for transference, the hook or theappropriate hook of said needle shall be brought into rubbing contactwith the latch opening portion of. the companion instrumentality whichlatter, however, will thereupon yield or be displaced to permit the hookto pass behind it .easiliy without definite obstruction, In this way,

the latch opening portion of the instrumentality closely follows thecontour of the forward curve of the needle hook so as to be in the mostfavourable position for engagement between the latter and the spoon ofthe associated latch. The opening of needle latches can consequently beeffected reliably and without damage to or undue wear on either needlesor latch opening instrumentalities. As will be appreciated, therefore,the actual relationship, within limits, between the latch openingportions and the needle importance since, in hook, in order .to pass byone of will automatically function to camthe portion l [outwardsand'hold it inits correct latch opening position. But

to enable these desirable results to be. achieved it is,

so positioned at the or each location where closed or partly closedneedle latches are to be opened, that their operative portions will beslightly behind the forward or free ends of the corresponding needlehooks. Moreover, the instrumentalities concerned must not exert morethan a light pressure upon-the hooks, since otherwise undue wear wouldtake place and the object of the inventionwould be defeated.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that it is withinthe scope of the invention to make only the operative portion of eachlatch opening instrumentality yieldable. For instance, the said portionmay consist of 2,375,475- H I I I, I a separate trick suitably formed inthe r of course, essential that the latch-opening instrumentalitiesshall be But in all casesinvolving the use of specially providedsinker-like latch opening instruments both theinside or, outside sinkersor web holders and the said instruments may be provided with similarbutts for accommodation in a'common sinker cam track whereby the twosets of in strumentaiities are operated'coniointly. ,Or' the butts onthe sinkers or web holders and the latch. opening instruments may belocated in respectively diflerent planes for reception in separate camtracks.

In order that the invention may be'more clearly understood and readilycarried into practical effect, a particular illustrative example thereofapplied to a circular links and links machine of the superimposed rotaryneedle cylinder type furnished with inside sinkers or web holders Ydrawings, wherein,

an initially separate element which is movably mounted on theinstrumentality and controlled by spring means.

Preferably, however, the machine itself is so constructed as to presentto the instrumentalities at the or each latch opening location ayieldable,

e. g., yieldingly mounted, part against which said instrumentalities canpush and yield when urged to do so by the hook; of advancing needles.

The latch opening instrumentalities may be constituted either by sinkersor web holders furnished with lateral projections, or by separatesinker-like elements specially provided for the purpose in view. Butwhether they consist ofloop-forming elements the primary function ofwhich is to sink yarn into loops between the needles or act solely forlatch opening purposes, I they are nevertheless in the nature of thinplate-' like elements arranged alternately with the I needles,'i. e., sothat each element operates between two adioining needles.

According to one embodiment of the invention the latch openinginstrumentalities consist of inside sinkers or,web holders furnishedon'their heads or hook-like ends with lugs or like lateral projectionswhich are formed to provide thin latch opening edges, and, at the oreach'knitting location of the machine, a part of or associated -with thecustomary sinker cams is yieldingly mounted.

' similar liders 5 in the, top cylinder.

In a modification, there may be provided in 'each trick in the sinkerbed or carrier in addition to an inside sinker or web holder ofconventional form a somewhat similar sinker-' like instrument which,however, has neither a belly nor a nib or n se but is provided with alateral latch opening projection. Alternatively,

the latch opening instruments may be accommodated in separate tricks inthe said bed or carrier.

According to a still further embodiment of the invention, the latchopening instrumentalities consist of outside sinkers having latchopening projections on their bellies immediately beneath formed forlatch opening purposes will now be described, withreference. to theaccompanying Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of so much of thesaid machine as is necessary to illustrate the yieldingly mounted campart for engagement with the sinkers,

Figure 2 depicts a portion'of the cam system of the machine the camsbeing shown as viewed in the direction of the arrow A in Figure l, i.e., from inside the cam boxes and with the sinker cup and bottom needlecylinder removed for the sake of clarity,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view showing more clearly the action ofthe yieldable cam part upon a simker during the opening of a needlelatch, Figure 4 is a detail perspective view illustrating one of thelatch opening edges engaged between the hook and the spoon of the latchof a needle. Like parts are designated by similar reference charactersthroughout the drawings.

Referring to Figure i, it will be seen that th machine comprises arotary bottom (plain) needle cylinder I, a superimposed rotary top (rib)cylinder 2, independent double-ended latchneedles such as I foroperation in these cylinders, needleactuating sliders 4 in the bottomcylinder and The machine is also furnished with arcuate inside sinkers,such as 8, which are formed with operating butts 6a and work slidably intricks 1a in a sinker brass I fitted within the upper end of the bottomcylinder I. Each of the sinkers 8 is provided on its head with, alateral projection 8 having chamfered opposite edges sa and 8b for open-3. That is to say, the latch opening edge 8a is for engagement atappropriate times between the nibs or noses thereof, and at the or eachI knitting location a cam part in or on the sinker cam cap is yieldinglymounted. Here again, in-

stead of being provided' directly on the outside sinkers, the latchopening projections may alternatively be provided on separate blade-likeinstruments each of which is mounted either in the'same trick as thecorresponding sinker or in the hook Ia and the spoon of the latch 9 ofthe needle when the latter is operating in the bottom cylinder i (asshown in Figures 3 and 4),

whereas the edge 8!) is for similar engagement between the other hook 3band the spoon of the associated latch 10 at such times as the needle isoperating in the top cylinder 2. The top and bottom sinker cam rings Hand II respectively are fixed one above the other with-a butt track l3between them, and are interposed between the sinker brass I and theconventional stationary sinker cup ll. A littlein advance of the plainand rib knitting cams l5 and H5 at the knitting location K (or at eachknitting location if there is more than one), the-butt track i3' rises.at "a so that by reason of the. sinker butts 6a travelling therealongthe sinkerst are moved onwards to permit plain needles to draw loopsover them, whereupon the said track, after extending horizontally to apoint coincident with or just beyond the knocking-over int P, inclinesdownwardly again at lib so that where the needles rise to clear, thesinkers are moved inwards to cause their nibs to engage the knitted weband hold it down in the usual way. Consequently, the projections s onthe sinkers are in position to present latch opening edges to theneedles at appropriate times. In accordance with the present inventionthere is provided in association with the top sinker cam ring II, at thepoint where opening oi needle latches is to be effected, a movablymounted cam part H which is arranged for action on the sinker butts 6aand yet is capable of yielding to a small extent in an upward directionto permit slight outward movement of any sinker whose latch openingprojection 8 is acted upon by a needle hook. At a location immediatelyabove the clearing cam their portion l8 (see Figure 2) in the bottom cambox the top sinker cam ring H is chamiered or bevelled outwards at llafrom its upper edges for a suitable distance circumferentially so as toprovide a recess is (Figure 1) having a back sloping forthem while theirbutts are passing the recess in the said cam.

What we claim then is:

1. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, axially opposedneedle cylinders, independent latch needles operable in each of saidcylinders, latch opening means constituted by a circular series oflateral projections on instruments associated with-the needles, saidprojections being so formed and arranged with respect to the needlecircle as'to oppose latch opening edges to the operative ends of theneedles in the cylinders respectively, and means for advancing needlesduring knitting so that by reason oi such advance closed latches arebrought into engagement with the opposed latch opening edges and areopened, at leastthe operative portion of each of said instruments beingenabled to yield to facilitate passage of a hook of an advancing needlebehind the lateral projection of said instrument during opening of therelevant latch, for the-purpose herein specified.

2. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, axially opposedneedle cylinders, independent latch needles operable in each of saidcylin- 4 ders, latch opening means constituted by a circuwardly from theinside of the upper edge of the said ring to form a knife-like lower.edge lib. The movable cam part II, which has an inclined front face lidand a straight lower edge llb, is fitted slidably in the recess is withthe said lower edge projecting downwards from the knife,

edge llb aforesaid. The extent to which the movable cam part normallyprojects beneath the knife edge depends, of course, on the requiredamount of inward movement to be imparted to the sinkers 6. This cam partis also formed with a tenon or key-like portion lie and the bottomsinker cam ring I2 is grooved or key-w'ayed vertically as indicated atl2a to receive it. In this way, the cam part I1 is enabled to be movedup and down slightly in the recess l9. Projecting from the back of thetenon or key-like portion llc near the bottom thereof is a horizontallydisposed lug l'ld which, as shown in Figure 1, extends through aslot llaformed in the wall of the sinker cup I. A screw 20 having a compressionspring 2l attached to it is screwed into a tapped hole 22 formed in thetop of the sinker cup ll', this spring extending vertically downwardswithin the slot Ila and bearing at its lower end upon the mg ":1. Byreason of this construction, therefore, the cam part II is enabled toyield, and the position normally occupied thereby is adjustable bymanipulation oi the screw 20 to determine the amount of inward movementto be imparted to the sinkers 6 for latch opening. The position of theyieldable cam part is in dicated in chain lines in Figure 2,-and inFigure 3 the form 01' this cam, as viewed from the side, is shown tobest advantage.

Instead of providing a yieldable cam, a similar result may be achievedby so forming the sinker butt track l3 that the sinkers arev moved in alittle more than is necessary for latch opening purposes and byrelieving, i. e., recessing, the'appropriate sinker cam portion at theor each latch opening location so that when a needle is advanced thehook' thereof will hug the latch opening projection on the correspondingsinker and force the latter outwards slightly, such utward movementbeing permitted; by the recess in the cam. But in this case tension orfriction is imposed on the sinkers to exercise some control over larseries of lateral projections on instruments associated with theneedles, said projections being so formed andarranged with respect tothe when urged to'do so by reason of the passage of needle circle as tooppose latch opening edges to the operative ends of the needles in thecylinders respectively, mean for advancing needles during knitting. sothat by reason of such advance closed latches are brought intoengagement with the 0pposed latch opening edges and are opened, and,

at the location where latches are to be opened,

a yieldable part against which the latch opening instruments can pushand yield when urged to do so by reason of the passage of advancingneedle hooks behind the lateral projections of said instruments, for thepurpose herein specified.

3. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, axially opposedneedle cylinders, independent latch needles operable in each of saidcylinders, latch opening means constituted by a circular series oflateral projections on instruments associated with the needles, saidprojections being so formed and arranged with respect to the needlecircle as to oppose latch opening edges to the operative ends of theneedles in the cylinders opposed latch opening edges and are opened, cam

means for exercising control of the instruments and for projecting theminto an operative position at the location where latches are to beopened, and, associated with said calm means at this location,ayieldable part against which the latch opening instruments can push andyield advancing needle hooks behind the lateral pro jections of saidinstruments, for the purpose herein specified.

4. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, axially opposedneedle cylinders, independent needles of the latch type operable in eachof said cylinders, latch opening means constituted by a circular seriesof lateral projections on sinkers arranged alternately with the needles,

said projections being sor formed and arrangedwith respect to the needlecircle as to oppose lat'ch opening edges to the operative ends of theneedles in the two cylinders respectively, cam means for actuatin thesinkers and causing their lateral 3 I brought into opening edges and are1 the sinkers can push and projections to assume an operative positionat the location where needle latches are to be opened,

1 means for advancing needles duringknitting so that by reasonoi' suchadvance closed latches are engagement with the opposed latch opened,and, associated with the aforesaid cam means ing location, a yieldablecam part against which yield when urged to by passage of advancingneedle hooks behind the lateral projections on said sinkers, for thepurpose herein specified; I

5. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, axially opposedplainandrib needle cylinders; independent double-ended latch needles for 5operation in said cylinders, sliders in each of said cylinders foractuating the needles, a circular series of inside sinkerstarrangedalternately with the needles, said sinkers having thereon lateralprojections so formed and arranged with respect Q to the needle circleas to oppose latch opening edges to the operative ends of the plain andthe rib needles respectively, cams foractuating the sinkers and causingtheir lateral projections to assume an operative position at thelocation where Y needle latches are to be opened, means for advancingneedles so that by reason of such ad- Vance closed latches are broughtinto engagement with the opposed latch opening edges and are opened,and, associated with the sinker cams needles, said sinkers being formedwith operating butts and having thereon lateral projections so formedand arranged with respect to the needle circle as to oppose latchopening edges tothe operative ends of the plain and the rib needlesrespectively, sinker cam rings-disposed one above the other with a trackbetween them for reception of the butts, this track being so designed asto actuate the sinkers and cause their lateral 50 projections to assumean operative position at the location where needle latches are to beopened, means for advancing needles so that by reason of such advanceclosed latches are brought into engagement with the opposed-latchopening edges 55 and are opened, and, in association with the top sinkercam ring, at the latch opening location, a-movably mounted cam partwhich protrudes into the aforesaid track for action on the sinker buttsand is capabl of .yielding'in an upward direction to permit of slightoutward movement of any sinker whose latch opening projection is actedupon by an advancing needle hook during opening of the associated latch,for the purpose herein specified. Y

'1. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, axially opposedplain and rib needlev cylinders, independent double-ended latch needlesfor operation in said cylinders, sliders in each of the latter foractuating the needles, a circular series of inside sinkers arrangedalternately with the needles, said sinkers being formed with operatingbutts and having thereon lateral projec- 'the operative ends of theplain and the rib needles respectively, a sinker cam ring formed with aat the latch openrecess the back or which slopes forwardly from theinside oi the upper edge of said ring to form a knife-like lower edge, afurther sinker cam ring disposed beneath the first mentioned ringsuchwise as to provide a track for reception or the butts, this trackbeing so designed as to actuate the sinkers and cause. their lateralprojections toassume an operative position at the location where needlelatches are to be opened, means Jior advancing needles so that by reasonof such advance closed latches are brought into engagement with theopposed latch opening edges and are opened,,and a movably mounted campart which is fitted slidably inthe recess in the top sinker cam ringwith its lower edge projecting downwards from the aforesaid knife-likeedge for contact with the sinker butts, this part being adapted toyieldin an upward direction to permit of slight outward movement of anysinker whose latch opening projection is acted uponby an ad= vancing'needle hook during opening of the associated latch, for the purposeherein specified. 8. In a circular knitting machine, in combination,axially opposed plain and rib needle cyl- 1 inders, independentdouble-ended latch needles for operation in said cylinders, sliders ineach of the latter for actuating the needles, .a circular series ofinside'sinkers arranged alternately with the needles, said sinkers beingformed with operating butts and having thereon lateral projections soformed and arranged with respect to the needle circle as to oppose latchopening edges to the operative ends of the plain' and the rib,

the needles, a circular series 40 lateral needles respectivelynsinkercamrings disposed one above the other with a track between them forreception of the'butts, this track being so designed as to actuate thesinkers and cause their projections to assume an; operative position atbe opened, means for advancing needles so that by reason of such advanceclosed latches are brought into engagement with the opposed latchopening edges and are opened, a movably mounted cam part in associationwith the topzsinker cam ring at the latch opening location, said partprotruding into the track for actlon on the sinker butts and beingyieldable in an upward direction to permit of slight outward movement ofany sinker whose latch opening projection is acted upon by an advancingneedle hook during open- 1 ing of the associated latch, for the purposeherein specified, a spring for controlling the movable cam part, and anadjusting screw in engagement with said spring.

9. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, superimposed rotaryneedle cylinders, independent double-ended latch needles for operationin said'cylinders, sliders in each of the latter for actuating theneedles, a sinker bed associated with the bottom needle cylinder,a'circular series of inside sinkers arranged in said bed alternatelywiththe needles, said sinker's beingfurnished with operating butts andhaving thereon lateral projections so formed and arranged with respectto the needlecircle as to oppose latch'opening edges to the operativeends of the needles in the tions so formed and arranged with respect tothe needle circle as to oppose latch opening edges to of'needle latches-15 0 to and bottom cylindersrespectlvely, a sinker cup, sinker cam'rings interposed between the sinker-bed and the sinker cup and disposedone above the other witha track between them for reception of the butts,the top sinker cam ring having therein a recess at a point where openingbe 'eilected, and the track the location where needle latches are tobeing so designed as to actuate the-sinkers and cause their lateralprojections to assume an operative position at the aforesaid location,means for advancing needles so that by reason of such advance closedlatchesare brought into engagement with the opposed latch opening edgesand are opened, a cam part which is slidabl'y mounted in the recess inthe top sinker cam ring with its lower edge projecting into the trackfor action on the sinker butts, a compression spring which isaccommodated within the sinker cup and arranged to bear downwardly upona portion of the slidable cam part, and a screw for adjusting thespring, the construction and arrangement being such that the said campart is capable of yielding in an upward direction to permit of slightoutward movement of any sinker whose latch opening projection is pressedupon by an advancing needle hook during opening of the associated latch,for the purpose specified.

10. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, superimposed rotaryneedle cylinders, independent double-ended latch needles for operationin said cylinders, sliders in each of the latter for actuating theneedles, -a sinker 'bed associated with the bottom needle cylinder, acircular series of inside sinkers arranged in said bed alternately.

with the needles, said sinkers being furnished with operating butts andhaving thereon lateral projections so formed and arranged with respectto the needle circle as to oppose latch opening edges to the operativeends of the needles in the top and bottom cylinders respectively, asinker cup, sinker cam rings interposed between the sinker bed and thesinker cup and, disposed one above the other with a track between themfor reception of the butts, said track being so designed as to actuatethe sinkers and cause their lateral projections, to assume an operativeposition at the latch opening location, means for advancing the needlesso that by reason of such advance closed latches are brought intoengagement with the opposed latch opening edges and are opened, andamovably mounted cam part which protrudes into the aforesaid track foraction on the sinker butts arid is capable of yielding in an upwarddirection to permit of slight outward movement of any sinker whose latchopening projection is acted upon by an advancing needle hook duringopening of the associated latch, for the purpose herein specified.

11. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, axially opposedneedle cylinders, independent latch needles operable in each of saidcylinders, latch opening means constituted by a cir cular series oflateral projections on instruments associated with the needles, saidprojections being so formed and arranged with respect to the needlecircle as 'to oppose latch opening edges to the operative ends of theneedles in the cylinders respectively, means for advancing needlesduring knitting so that by reason of such advance closed latches arebrought into engagement with the opposed latch opening edges and areopened, a

cam part at the latch opening location for action upon the aforesaidinstruments, and a spring for controlling said cam part, theconstruction and arrangement being such that the latter is capable ofyielding to permit of slight displacement of any sinker whose latchopening projection is pressed upon by an advancing needle hook duringopening oi! the associated latch, for the purpose specified.

HENRY HAROLD HOLMES.- JOHN CYRIL HERBERT HURD.

